The former president wants to seek medical treatment abroad for her rare bone ailment.

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1 DESPITE the Philippine Supreme Court s temporary restraining order against the Department of Justice from enforcing its watch list order against former President Gloria Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo from leaving the country, the Aquino government, through Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima, still barred the Arroyos from leaving the Philippines last Tuesday. The former president wants to seek medical treatment abroad for her rare bone ailment. The couple was already at the airport when they were stopped by de Lima s people from departing. What s happening in Manila is no longer a case for seeking justice. It is apparent that cruel and inhuman treatment is being committed in the native Christian country against the Arroyos. 1 / 6

2 Masyado naman yatang sipsip si de Lima sa kanyang boss. Ang sabi nga ng isang ginagalang na professor of law sa Maynila, mukhang nawala na ang konsiyensiya. Mukhang nawala na rin ang utang na loob sa kanyang dating boss dahil nakakapit na sa kanyang bagong boss. It is a common belief that when a person thinks he is the best and can t do no wrong, that person will be cruel and inhuman to his fellow human being and forgiveness would be very difficult for him to give. Disturbing events in Manila. Authoritarian rule in disguise? (This column was written last Tuesday. I have no way of knowing whether the Arroyos were allowed to leave the Philippines thereafter.) *** Doubtful pride and renewed pride for Filipinos Two entirely different events that involved Filipino pride happened four days apart last week. 2 / 6

3 Both events took place in the United States. One was global, the other local. In both, the Filipino participants were winners. One brought doubtful pride, the other resulted in renewed pride. I refer to two fights. One, by Manny Pacquiao in the boxing arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 12. The other, by Rolando Lavarro, Jr. in the political arena in Jersey City on Nov. 8. It s been a week since the Pacquiao-Marquez boxing match, but still, opposing opinions persist as to who the true winner was. I watched every second of the 12 rounds on HBO. Like two of the three judges, I gave the fight to Pacquiao not because he is also nicknamed Manny but due to what I witnessed. Let s put a closure on this subject. Let s respect the professional people at the ringside who were paid to judge the match. 3 / 6

4 Aside from the fact that it was really a close fight, I think there were doubting Mannyses (not Thomases) due to three reasons: 1) their risen expectation (75 percent of those who watched the fight) that Manny would convincingly and easily defeat Marquez by knockout or otherwise did not happen; thus, they were disappointed and got a little upset with Manny Pacquiao after the fight (unfair for Manny); 2) they were comparing Manny s performance with his previous fights, but those earlier fights were against weaker opponents; and 3) as challenger, people tend to register only the punches landed by Marquez against the champion. Filipinos are still proud of their champ, but many seem to be in doubt. Meanwhile, in Jersey City, it s been 10 days since another type of fight took place. It was a political fight by the Filipinos in that city, led by Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr. After a grueling, difficult and expensive campaign for the post of council-at-large (City Council member) in Jersey City, N.J. s third largest city, Lavarro emerged victorious from a field of 17 candidates who vied for two City Hall vacancies. Lavarro s victory is historic to Pinoys in New Jersey because he is the first Filipino-American to win an elective post in Jersey City where some 15,000 Filipinos reside and after repeated unsuccessful attempts by other Pinoys in past elections. The Filipino-American Lavarro won over opponents backed up by New Jersey s so-called political machines and despite a sprained ankle that kept his left foot in cast almost throughout 4 / 6

5 the campaign. Lavarro s victory is timely. Filipinos in that city are recovering from a diminished sense of pride which resulted from an unfortunate incident that happened to a ranking Filipino appointive city official not too long ago. In that sense, Lavarro s victory is viewed as having brought renewed pride to the large Filipino community in Jersey City. *** I d like to greet the publisher and editor of the Filipino Reporter, Bert Pelayo, a happy, happy birthday. *** Next week will be Thanksgiving. If there is one thing we are particularly thankful to God, it is the gift of life that He gave us. We thank Him for that blessing not only on Thanksgiving but everyday. In turn, it is what we do with that life that we could give back as our gift to Him. 5 / 6

6 Happy Thanksgiving! 6 / 6